Orthodontia appliance



G. A. MILLARD.

ORTHODONTIA APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT 25. 1919.

1,362,339. Patented Dec.14,1920.

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ORTHODGNTIA APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Extent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

Application filed September 25, 1919. Serial No. 326,313.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GUsrAvUs A. MILLARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Orthodontia Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

The prime object of my invention'is the provision of an orthodontia appliance of simple construction, for correcting the alinemeut of a malposed tooth or teeth, and consists of the novel construction and arrangement of the various essential elements as hereinafter fully set forth.

In the construction of appliances of this character heretofore commonly used, it has been generally necessary to resort to solder ing the various elements of the device together, in order to provide a substantial and durable appliance, which practice very often results in extreme difficulty in their application to practical use; and it is a flu'ther object of my invention to embody a construction in my appliance which will entirely obviate the necessity of soldering the various elements together and greatly simplify the application of the device to practical use.

The merits will be more fully set forth in the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a set of teeth with an orthodontia appliance embodying the principles of my invention in use.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective of the anchor band shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective of the box which is soldered to the anchor band shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective of the block shown in the box in Fig. 2.

"Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 looking downwardly as indicated by the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings, my applianees comprise essentially a pair of anchor bands ladapted to fit snugly around the molars 2; substantially U-shaped bearing boxes 3 soldered or otherwise secured to the outer sides of anchor bands 1 adapted to receive plates 4 for supporting the archbar 5 therebetween.

As the two terminals composed of the anchor band 1, the box 3 and plates 4 are the outer face of the plate 8.

U-shaped, and of arcuate configuration to conform to the periphery of anchor band 1 and in ordinary practice will be soldered thereto, the inner surface 6 supported against the periphery of the band 1.

The front plate 8 bent upwardly forming a return bend 7 at its lower edge is like wise arcuate and. parallel to the rear face 6. The outer plate 8 has a vertical central portion 9 pressed outwardly, in which are horizontally disposed perforations 10 and 11 eX- tending therethrough at approximiately its horizontal center and in a plane outside of The space 12 intermediate the plates 6 and 8 forms a seat for the plate 4.

In order to accomplish the desired result of easily and quickly removing the plate 4" from its bearing, and at the same time being secure against lateral movement, the plate 4 has a central vertical bead 14 adapted to coincide with the space 13 in bearing 3. Plate 4 is arcuate and of a general configuration to conform with the space 12 intermediate the plates 6 and 8 of bearing 8. A longitudinal aperture 15 extends horizontally through the center of the plate 4 for receiving the end of the arch-bar 5 when the same is in place. A longitudinal groove 16 is likewise cut in the face of the bead 14 and is positioned to register in horizontal alinement with the perforations 10 and 11 of thebea'ring 3 when the plate 4 is in place. The object of the perforations 10 and 11 and groove 16 is to provide a simple means for locking the plate 4 in place; this is accomplished by the insertion of a cotter pin 17 through the perforations 10and 11 in groove 16 after these elements are in place. Thus it will be seen that the vertical bead 14 of the plate 4 registering with the groove 13 of bearing 3 will hold the plate 4 against lateral movement, while the cotter pins 17 will hold itagainst ver- 11G tical displacement. The aforementioned groove and bead not only provide a means these elements, but also provides a reinforcement to withstand the strain of mastication.

While I have here shown the bearing box 3 to be formed integral by bending a single piece of material into a substantially U- shaped element and further bending it to an arcuate configuration for soldering or otherwise securing it to the periphery of anchor band 1, it is to be understood that the bearing may also be formed integral with the anchor Joand by the well known method of die stamping and pressing the metal outward to form the bottom portion 7 and the outer face 8. This, of course, would leave an open space immediately back of the outer face 8, but as this portion would be covered upon the insertion of the plate 4, which could be made slightly larger than the outer face 8 for this purpose, no apparent evil would result.

In the practical application of my improved appliance a pair of anchor bands 1 carrying bearing boxes 8 secured thereto, are first applied to molars 2. The ends of the arch-bar or band 5 of the required length are then inserted through apertures 15 in plates a, the said plates 4 then slipped into place in the bearings 3. Plates 4. are then secured against displacement by the cotter pin 17; the ends of the latter being bent downwardly after insertion to secure it against movement, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. After the plates at have been secured in place the arch-bar 5 may be drawn to the required tension and the ends or terminals thereof, bent downwardly as illustrated in Fig. 2 to secure it against movement.

While not'liere shown it is understood that any number of any suitable type of bands for the realinenient of malposed teeth may be secured to the teeth intermediate the anchoring terminals.

Ali exposed elements of my appliance, as hereinbefore set forth, may be smoothed and rounded, presenting broad fiat surfaces which will not be liable to irritate sensitive tissues.

Various changes may be made in the con struction of my device without departing from the spirit of the invention-as claimed.

'1 claim:

LAn orthodontia appliance comprising a pair of anchor bands, bearings secured to said bands, vertically sliding removable plates adapted to seat in said bearings and an arch-bar supported between said plates.

2. An orthodontia appliance comprising a pair of anchor bands, bearings supported on said. bands, vertically sliding removable plates adapted to seat in said bearings,

. means in said hearings to prevent dislodgment of said plates, similar means on the plates registering with the said means on the bearing, and an arch-bar supported by and between said plates.

3. An orthodontia appliance comprising a pair of anchor bands, bearings supported on said bands and adapted to receive removable plates, means in said hearings to prevent displacement OTE said plates, similar means on said plates registering with said means on the bearing and an arch-bar supported bet-ween said plates.

i. In an orthodontia appliance comprising an anchor band, an arcuate seat forming a bearing box on said anchor band, a vertically sliding plate similar in configuration to the seat formed inv said bearing box and adapted to fit therein, means to hold said plate against displacement and an archbar secured to said plate.

5. In an orthodontia appliance an anchor band supporting a bearing box, a plate adapted to fit in said bearing box, means formed integral with said bearing box to prevent displacement of said plate, means formed integral with said plate to register with the means on said bearing box and an arch-bar secured to said plate.

.6. An orthodontia appliance comprising an anchor band adapted to slip over a tooth, a bearing box on said anchor band having a centrally located vertical groove, a plate adapted to seat in said bearing box and having a centrally located vertical bead adapted to coincide with said groove, horizontally disposed perforations in said groove, a horizontally disposed groove in said bead adapted to register with said perforations to receive a cotter pin, and a central horizontal aperture through said plate to receive an arch-bar.

7. An orthodontia appliance comprising an anchor band adapted to lit a tooth, a box soldered to the face of the anchor band, said box comprising an inner plate, a return bend at the lower edge of the inner plate, an outer plate extending upwardly from the return bend parallel with the inner plate and forming a recess between the two plates and a vertical central portion pressed outwardly from the outer plate and forming an extension recess, there being opening-s horizontally through the arched portion outside of the outer plate, a block fitting in' the re-' cess and having a bead fitting in the extension recess and a recess in the bead in line with the openings in the arch, a tension wire extending through the block, and a cotter inserted through the openings in the arch and through the recess in the head.

In testimony whereof I have signed name to this specification.

G. A. MILLARD. 

